A Small Price To Pay
by ntamara
Summary: Harry and Severus were going through a rough patch. Nothing more. HPSS


**Title:** A Small Price to Pay

**Pairing:** Harry/Severus

**Rating:** pg-13

**Warnings:** mpreg

**Summary: **Harry and Severus were going through a rough patch. Nothing more.

**A/N:** Written for snapespet who requested humorous Snarry mpreg on the occasion of reaching 500 watchers on my journal.

* * *

They were going through a rough patch, nothing more. It wasn't serious. Harry was young, they'd been together for a few years now. Of course he'd become a little restless. That didn't mean he didn't love Severus anymore, that didn't mean he was actually going to _leave_.

Everything would be all right. They'd promised to be together, forever. Severus was _not_ going to lose Harry to any of those opportunistic bastards that Harry called friends. Not if he had any say in the matter.

* * *

"You're joking."

Madam Pomfrey shook her head.

"No, Harry. You _are_ pregnant."

"But-"

"It's rare, but it does happen. There are potions-"

Harry shook his head vehemently. "We didn't. Severus- You know him! He hates kids!"

"Well, there is little that wish magic cannot accomplish." She did look at him sympathetically, no doubt picturing the Potions master's reaction to the news. "Other than that or a potion, the only other documented cases of male pregnancy I've encountered occured in a certain family-"

"Harry! There you are. I've been looking all over for you, what are you doing here? Is something wrong? Poppy?"

Harry's face froze in a grimace, and he frantically tried to think of some explanation other than the truth.

"Ah, Severus. Perfect timing. I'll just leave you two alone for a while," she smiled at the Potions master and patted him on the arm. "Congratulations."

Harry's lover looked at the nurse as if she had gone mad, before turning expectantly to Harry.

"Um. I'm pregnant?"

The look of pure shock on Severus' face, however, did not transform into horror or outrage. As if the surprise of finding out he (a wizard!) was pregnant was not enough, Severus' face contorted into a broad smile. He kissed Harry's hand reverently and then put his arm around him, holding Harry tight.

"I- It's a surprise, but- Harry, I never- You love me that much?"

Harry looked into his lover's dark eyes, saw the delight and unwavering certainty and determination that he would be there for Harry always. "Yeah," he finally replied, and a slow but sincere smile found its way to his face. "Of course I do."

* * *

Severus Snape had never wanted children. Teaching them for over two decades had been more than enough. But, they said your own children were different, and Harry would be the one taking care of their child. In the end, it was a small price to pay, and the benefits outweighed the negatives by far.

Pregnancy, a child, would bind Harry to Severus for the rest of their lives. Severus knew the Gryffindor mind, he knew _Harry's mind_. Everything Harry wanted, love and a family, Severus had given him, and Harry would never _ever_ jeopardise any of it again. He had just needed a reminder of why they were together, of how much he loved and wanted Severus. The past eight months had seen the revival of their relationship. Pregnancy made Harry horny and _needy_, and Severus was there for him always, happily.

Harry had had to give up teaching DADA by his sixth month, and the Headmaster had finally allowed Severus a shot at teaching the one class he had always wanted to. Harry would not be returning to teaching, at least full-time, for a few years, and in the meantime the post was Severus'. No more teaching the little brats a science that they were only interested in to the extent of making explosive devices. Flashy DADA, and Severus was starting to become _popular_, even if he was still an exacting teacher.

Hooch would be retiring in a few years. Perhaps Severus could convince Harry to take up Quidditch again...

It was a very small price to pay indeed. And now that the time had come, now that their child was actually being born, Severus felt a sudden eagerness to meet this mix of himself and Harry. He was going to be a father. A little Snape running around, the terror of Gryffindors everywhere... Perhaps they could make another one.

"Severus? You can come in now."

He was already pushing past Poppy into the infirmary; he nearly ran to the bed at the end of the ward where Harry was lying, a small bundle on his chest.

"Harry," he gathered his partner and his child in his arm. He didn't understand why his throat was suddenly so tight, and his eyes so wet. "Are you all right? Let me see- A boy or a girl?"

Harry's hand was squeezing his so tight Severus thought he might break bones. He looked at his partner in worry. "Did the poor thing get my nose?" he joked, finally looking down at the little bundle between them.

No. Not the Snape nose.

"Severus, I love you."

Not the Snape nose, thankfully. Bright blue eyes, but all babies had blue eyes. A still blotchy face surrounded by tufts of coppery red hair. The smile froze on Severus' face in some kind of twisted grimace.

"Severus, _please_ talk to me, Severus."

At first, Severus was unable to do more than open and close his mouth. He looked down at the child in Harry's arm, back to Harry (_his_ Harry, _his_), and swallowed.

"My," he coughed, appalled at the way his hands were shaking. _Small price to pay, small price to pay.__ You know Harry, you know his mind, he's yours now, forever and ever._ "My mother's mother had red hair," he finally managed to choke out.

It was a small price to pay for Harry's relieved smile, the warmth in his eyes and his lips against Severus' own. They were going to have another one, though. And they were both going to be Slytherins. And the next time Severus saw Weasley...

_the__ end_


End file.
